Refrigerator display case



Mai' 5, 1936- 1 AH. EHRLlcH 039,685

i REFRIGERATOR DISPLAY CASE l f Filed Deo. 9,' 1930 2 sets-sheet 1 1 li y Wfl.

May '5, 1936.

lA. g- L EHRLll-l REFRIGERATOR DISPLAY CASE "Filed news, `1930 2 Sheets-She`et 2 l Patented May 1.936

rer are 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerator display cases.

'I'he invention relates to the type of refrigerator cases employing mechanical refrigeration. Considerable didiculty has been encountered in the use of mechanical refrigeration because of the large quantity of moisture taken from the air, `and meats or vegetables within the case which causes those. products to dry out and become discolored to a substantial extent. This has been a problem in the use of mechanical [refrigerating means for display cases or the like that has been diflicult of solution, and no practical means has been used heretofore which will restore the moisture to the air within the case that is taken out by the cooling coils on which the moisture is condensed.

It is the object of this invention to provide in a display case having one or more sets of coils, an automatic control for at least one set of coils which cause a defrosting of those coils and a suitable drain or receptacle isxutilized forreceiving the moisture from the defrosted coils and restoring the moisture to the air circulating within the display compartment. In this way, the

air has its inherent moisture restored to it and to the produets. on display within the case so that they are not deprived of their moisture While cooled by mechanical refrigeration, and therefore do not become discolored and dry which renders them unsatisfactory and not as desirable for use.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view through a 'refrigerator display case embodying the present invention, and A Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same having a. portion broken away.

The display case may be of suitable well known `construction, and in the form illustrated it is provided with a storage compartment I in the bottom and a display compartment 2 in the` top or upper portion separated from the storage compartment I by a suitable partition 3 extending transversely of the case. Doors 4 may be ai ranged in the back of the case for gaining access to the storage compartment I, and this compartment may be cooled by a refrigerating coil or tube 5 exten-ling longitudinally therein and which may have a suitable balie 6 for directing the air about thecoil 5. It is frequently desirable to maintain the storage compartment I at a temperature below freezing point in order to store therein frozen packaged meat or the like and the coil 5 may be 'provided and controlled for this purpose.

The display compartmentl 2 has a transparent front l and a closed top 8 while doors 9 are provided at the back for gaining access to this display compartment.

Platters I@ are provided for containing meat `t; or other products on display within the compartment 2, which platters are supported on/ cleats II and I2, the former extending along the front of the display compartment and spaced/therefrom while the other extends along the back por- 10 tion of the compartment. 'I'he platters Il)` are carried in a position spaced above the partition 3 providing a circulating space I3 between the platters and the partition so as to allow air to circulate forwardly 'under the platters. The 15 cleat I2 is carried by a supporting structure designated generally by the numeral It and having a front baffle I5 extending therealong and downward to a point spaced from the partition 3 forming a circulating opening 'IB therethrough. 20 A top baiile Il is arranged over the framework It and has an upstanding flange I8 at the back thereof which is spaced from the rear wall of the case forming a circulating opening` I9 between the flange I8 and the said rear wall. The baiiies 25 I5 and I1 enclose a chamber 20 at the back of the displayvcompartment 2 and in the lower portion thereof within which chamber 20 a cooling tube or coil ZI is disposed and suitably mounted to cool the air passing through the com- 30 partment, which cooled air is directed through the opening IE into the space I3 beneath the platters IB, thence into the display compartment 2. Coil 2l may have a valve 2l for controlling the refrigerant passing therethrough.

In the top of `the display compartment 2 Ais a refrigerating tube or coil 22 about which a baille 23 extends, the lower portion of which forms a drainage receptacle, and a pipe 24 extends downwardly therefrom over a gutter 25,- which gutter 40 extends forwardly and longitudinally of the display compartment andrnay have an outlet 25a at one end arranged to retain moisture in the gutter 25. The gutter 25 is preferably disposed along the bottom of the display compartment 2 '45 in the path of the cold air passing forwardly from the cooling coil 2l. A

Supply and withdrawal pipes 26 and 26 are shown in Fig. 2 as supplying the refrigerating medium to the coil 22, and the same or similar pipes 5( may also supply the cooling medium to the other coils, which pipes are connected with a suitable refrigerating machine, not shown, but well known in the art. Connected with at least one of the pipes 2t is an autotic thermostatically con- 55 to shut oi at a temperature of around 32 to 34. l

Then when the top coil 22 is shut oi, the temperature in the upper portion of the display compartment 2 rises several degrees so that the frost melts. The set temperature may be changed as desired.

In the display of frozen meats or the like, it is desirable to maintain a low temperature of between '30 and 40 degrees in the lower portion of the case, and this may be done by proper operaf tion of the cooling coil 2| which cools the air to the low temperature desired and directs it through the opening I6 into the space I3 beneath the platters I0 and may therefore keep the meat in the platters at the low temperature desired but it should not be so cold as to freeze the water in the pipe 24 and gutter 25. When the air leaves the coil 2| it passes into contact with the bottom surface of the trays I0 containing the meat or other goods on display as well as passing over the top of the partition 3, so that there would necessarly be a rise in the temperature of the air at least to some extent by the time the air passes around the cleat II and over the gutter 25, and therefore there would be an absorption of moisture at vthat point. The air circulates from the space I3 into the display rcompartment 2, and by passing over the gutter 25 absorbs some of the moisture from the gutter, thus keeping the air in a moistened condition and restoring to the air at leastfsome of the moisture taken out or condensed therefrom by the cooling coils. The gutter 25 is supplied with moisture from the coil 22 which is automatically and intermittently defrosted at intervals by the action of the snapaction valve 21 which operates atcertain temperatures causing the coils 22 to be defrosted or allowing the frost to melt from the coils andthe water resultant therefrom is drained through the pipe 24 into the gutter 25 in the bottom of the display compartment where it is contained and provision has been made for supplying moisture to the air.

` A baiiie 28 is shown in Fig. -1 as turned forwardly and downwardly'from the back of the display compartment 2 at the upper edge of the doors 9 so that in the event that the doors 9 are opened, the cooled air from the coil 22 is directed downwardly and forwardly and in that way is prevented from passing out through the door opening.

I claim:

1.y In a refrigerating compartment, the combination of a mechanical refrgerating element in the lower portion of the compartment, a second mechanical refrigerating element in the upper portion of the compartment for respectively cooling the air in said compartment, means for automatically causing a defrosting of the second refrigerating element only, and moisture retaining means for receiving the moisture resulting from the defrosting of said element and supplying said moisture to the cooled air of the compartment.

2. In a refrigerator display case,-the combination of a mechanical refrigerating element, means extending forwardly from said element for re-` ALERT EHRLICH. 

